In the early morning hours of December 4, 2017, the life of 44-year-old Ricky Riggins, a Black male, was tragically cut short in a violent encounter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Riggins was found in an alley near 14th and Mineral, having been shot a total of eight times shortly after 3:00 a.m. Those who knew him remembered Riggins as a good, friendly man who wasn't a troublemaker, leaving them searching for answers in the wake of his sudden and brutal death.
He was described by a friend of 20 years as someone who was always happy to see you and would greet you with a hug.
The investigation into the shooting led Milwaukee police to a suspect, Robert Black, who was a friend and coworker of Riggins. Cellphone records revealed multiple calls between the two men leading up to the fatal incident. The night of the shooting, Black, Riggins, and another friend had gone bowling together. Black told investigators that after he dropped Riggins off, he noticed that $80 was missing from the center console of his 2011 Jeep Liberty and suspected Riggins had taken it. This alleged theft led to a heated phone conversation between the two, though Riggins denied taking the money.
Surveillance footage from near the scene captured a man matching Black's description, wearing a distinctive baseball-style hat and a jacket with patches, pointing a gun at a figure believed to be Riggins. Witnesses in the area reported hearing an initial series of gunshots, followed by several more. One witness saw a man with a handgun running in the alley, while another saw a dark gray Jeep speeding away from the scene without its headlights on. Robert Black was taken into custody on December 7, 2017. He was subsequently charged with first-degree intentional homicide. During his initial court appearances, Black pleaded not guilty to the charges.
